Fanfic:A Rustic Vacation
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Ninya Evoneigh had not left the Grey Tower -again- only to spend fifteen years sitting on her Aes Sedai bottom doing nothing. She had originally come to the town of Takan's Mill on a whim, intending for her visit to be short but informative. Staying away from the Tower for years had certainly never crossed her mind! However, upon arrival at the town, she observed that despite its rustic appeal and apparent comraderie, the town suffered from poverty, strife, and a lack of leadership. Whatever had happened there had robbed it of its integrity.
It had certainly known its share of problems. It technically existed in the vast expanse of Almoth Plain, but it had some protection from the wars between Arad Doman and Tarabon, as it had been founded within Paedish Swar. Of course, being located in a thick forest bore its own problems; crops were difficult to cultivate and harvest, livestock disappeared, and large cats, bears, and other wildlife frequently ranged out of the nearby foliage. And yet...they continued to survive, as they had for hundreds of years, their community spreading slowly and surely further out.
Ninya had heard of the place while reading at the Grey Tower, and had been struck by their resilience...not to mention that despite being so close to so many wars- and to the Grey Tower -it had remained undisturbed. So she had gone to visit, out of sheer curiosity. She had found a stubborn people, as all such small communities tended to be, clinging to what they had without really understanding what they had to lose. Upon her arrival, she had made it clear she intended to stay for some time, although she had chosen not to divulge her true identity. In places such as these, Aes Sedai tended to be morphed by legend into fifty foot tall monsters with flames coming out of their eyes, and she had no wish to contend with such a rumor.
They had liked her well enough as just a lone outsider, however, and within a few weeks her presence went unremarked, although never underappreciated. They did not depend on her, per se, but she helped them in small ways. They had not had a Wise Woman in many years; no one had developed the affinity for nature expected of one, and thus they had gone without. Ninya's poultices worked even when all else failed, and her honesty could be depended on; both traits together quickly earned her a place on the village council.
And thus she lived, for year after year, strangely content with her quiet life. No one could ever have guessed that the dark-skinned figure that moved gracefully through the villagers had once been one of the most universally well-known women in the known world, and she found that she enjoyed her obscurity as much as she enjoyed being a direct help to her new friends. She even came to enjoy needlework, a past time that she had never truly enjoyed in times past.
In truth, had she lacked the ability to channel she would have happily remained in Takan's Mill for the rest of her life. However....as her original acquaintances began to age, she realized that a problem would soon come up: superstition and rumor would begin to ask questions about her youth. If any of the good she had brought on the village was to 'stick', she would have to leave before it became an obvious concern. Thus she began to think, and plan, fighting her own surprised reluctance every step of the way. Surely it would be good to be back in the Grey Tower, back to knowing what was going on in the outside world? For all she knew, the entire world could belong to the Dark One now. The last time an outsider had come through the village had been five years prior, and they had known no more about the news than she did.
Therefore one day in late spring when the village green was truly vibrant and the fields were just beginning to show their crops, she bid her farewells. Of course they did not understand why she had to leave; after being there for so long, she supposed they had simply forgotten that she did not originate there. Finally, however, she found herself along on the path that led out of the village and -if memory served and the land had not changed- would lead her to Katar.
Of course, she had no intention of traveling so far by traditional means. Once she had passed out of Paedish Swar, she found a small dell in the plain, and made herself comfortable. After a few hours, she embraced the Source. After so many years spent channeling mere trickles, feeling the full strength of her ability awed her; battling the tears that filled her eyes, she wove a Gateway to her chambers at the Grey Tower. The decorations -plain by most Aes Sedai standards- seemed extravagent, but the familiar smell of old books and rose perfume made all of her reluctance vanished.
Composing her face to absolute serenity, the Aes Sedai stepped through the hole in the air. As it closed behind her, she straightened, and turned towards her bed chamber. She needed to find suitable clothing and then she needed to learn what had happened in her absence.
